Award-winning Portuguese-American actor Joaquim de Almeida was born on March 15, 1957 in Lisbon, Portugal. He left his home country when he was 18 years old, intending to pursue art studies, because the Lisbon Conservatory was closed by the 1974 democratic revolution. He settled down and eventually studied in Vienna, Austria. In 1977, he then moved to New York to follow his wife, pianist Maria Cecilia, who got a musical scholarship; he later entered training at the Actors Studio.

He made his film debut in 1982, becoming an extra in the action flick The Soldier. The following year, he had a critically-acclaimed performance in the drama The Honorary Consul. In 1987, he delivered another memorable performance, in the Italian drama Good Morning, Babylon. He also starred in several stage productions and foreign film productions in between.

de Almeida continued his film career well into the 1990s, eventually returning to work for Portuguese productions. In 1992, he was bestowed Best Actor honors by that year’s Cairo International Film Festival for his acting in the film Retraro de Familia. In 1995, he won a Portuguese Golden Globe for Best Actor, for his work in the film Ad?o a Eva. He would go on to win two more awards in 1997 and 2001. He was also nominated for a Cinema Brazil Grand Prize for his role in O xang? de Baker Street. Apart from spending his time in Portugal and Brazil, he also starred in several American productions, appearing in films such as Clear and Present Danger and Desperado, and in television shows like La Femme Nikita.

Recently, de Almeida starred in the third season of 24, playing Mexican narcoterrorist Ramon Salazar. He also had a regular role in the police drama Wanted, playing police captain Manuel Valenza. In 2005, de Almeida successfully applied for American citizenship.